


While Away the Days

by mitslits



Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: fluff mostly, lonely spinster harry, retired harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-03
Updated: 2016-12-03
Packaged: 2018-09-06 07:31:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8740471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mitslits/pseuds/mitslits
Summary: I'd love a fic about lonely spinster Harry falling in love for the first time (with Eggsy preferably). Full of angst, emotions, and maybe some unrequited love (or not).





	

Being alone is what Harry knows. It’s long since ceased to be comforting but it’s all he has. And it’s starting to drive him crazy. There’s only so much time one can spend in a head like his before that becomes an inevitability, he supposes.

Time has not been kind to him. Gray streaks his hair after five decades of stress and anxiety, scars and marks of his career as a spy riddle his skin. The biggest change is in his eyes. What once was clear and mischievous has become clouded and troubled as he takes account of the person in the mirror. Forgiveness is hard to give to anyone, especially oneself.

Harry has finally stepped down from his role as Galahad and into a life of retirement. His last mission had left him half-blind and dealing with aftershocks of PTSD, washing over him like waves and waking him in the middle of the night, gasping in sweat-soaked sheets.

He’s never felt weak before. He does now. 

Every morning he’s up at seven, like clockwork. Old habits die hard and waking early will be one of Harry’s for the rest of his days.

He strolls through the streets of the small village he’s retired to without a destination in mind. If he’s going to be trapped with only his thoughts for company he’d at least like pleasant things to look at.

Flowers bloom along fences, spilling into the streets, their fragrant perfume released by the crush of heels against spilled petals. Clouds scud along the blue sky with the breeze, men and women make their way along the cobbled streets. Some nod to him, some pretend he isn’t there, and some even offer him a friendly smile.

The only he ever takes any notice of is a young man near the small school, the only one the town has. He’s there every weekday, but not for himself. The young girl clinging to his legs proves that.

Every day Harry watches their little ritual, the young man bending down to smooth his hand through the girl’s curls and give her an encouraging smile. She throws her arms around his neck in a brief hug then totters off to school, leaving the man to straighten up and go on his way alone.

Harry’s grown fond of the little tableau, despite knowing nothing about either of them. It’s a bright spot in his otherwise dull existence. 

Harry learns his name purely through accident, overhearing an overloud conversation between him and his mates in a pub they frequent.

‘Eggsy, fetch us another pint, will ya, bruv?’

Rather a strange name but Harry can’t help but find it charming.

Their first meeting, coincidentally, is also entirely by accident. It’s also not exactly how Harry would have liked it to have gone.    
One moment he’s strolling past the school on the opposite side of the street, Eggsy’s ritual with his sister finished. The next he’s kneeling on the pavement, clutching his head as searing pain rips through it, a souvenir from the shot that ended his career. He grits his teeth to keep from crying out, desperately hoping it’ll be one of the shorter ones and not leave him writhing in the street for minutes on end.    
Suddenly there are hands on him, a voice in his ear. He reacts on instinct, throwing his elbow back and forcing the other person away.    
“Calm down, mate, it’s alright. I’m just tryin’ to help.”    
The voice breaks through the pounding haze and he forces his eyes open. The world slowly takes shape before him, pulling together into a recognizable form. He sees Eggsy kneeling in front of him, troubled eyes fixed on him, hands still outstretched.    
“Terr-Terribly sorry,” Harry manages to say, hating the way his voice strains. “I’ll be fine in a moment, not to worry.” He attempts getting to his feet, reeling a little but managing it successfully enough. 

Eggsy drops his arms but looks ready to catch him at a moment’s notice should he fall again. “Are you sure?” he asks skeptically. 

Nodding, Harry gives him what he hopes is a reassuring smile. “Migraines. They tend to pass quickly,” he says by way of explanation, tapping once on his temple. 

Eggsy spends a moment chewing on his lip before shoving his hands in his pockets. “Well… maybe I could walk with you till you get where you’re goin’? If that’s alright.” 

Harry accepts the offer but only because he thinks Eggsy will look spectacularly put out if he refuses. 

They start off in silence, each casting looks over at the other when they think they aren’t looking back. Once their eyes meet and Eggsy clears his throat, taking one hand out of his pocket and scratching at the back of his neck. 

“I’m Eggsy, by the way. Don’t know if you knew that. Do you have kids?” 

Harry shakes his head. “Harry. And no. I’ve never even been married.”

“Oh,” Eggsy says, falling quiet for a bit. “I see you over by the school sometimes, so I wondered is all.” 

Quickly, Harry looks over at him, but Eggsy doesn’t seem to be bothered by the fact. “I see. I like to walk around here and it just happens to be on my route,” he says, feeling the need to explain himself. 

Eggsy just nods, a hint of a smile on his lips. 

They don’t say another word until they reach Harry’s house, tucked in amongst a row of identical others. 

“Thank you, Eggsy,” Harry says, offering his hand. “It was very kind of you to help me. If there’s ever anything I can do to repay you, I’d be glad to be of service.” 

Eggsy gives him a firm shake and gentle smile, inclining his head. “I’ll keep that in mind, Harry, thanks.” With that, he’s gone, slipping back to his own life and out of Harry’s. 

-

Fate, however, seems fit to bring them together again. 

Thoughts of the life he used to lead crowd Harry’s mind as he strolls through the park, paying little attention to his actual surroundings. It’s one of the best places he’s find to wile away the evening hours, dying sunlight turning the green leaves golden and the chill in the air just that side of pleasant. 

He’s jerked out of his memories as something careens into him and he glances down in surprise to find a familiar face blinking up at him in confusion from her sprawled position on the ground. “Um. Hello,” he says, bending and offering a hand to help her up. 

The young girl leaps up on her own, taking off in the opposite direction and whisking behind Eggsy’s legs. Safe now, she peers back out at the stranger. 

“Sorry about that, Harry,” Eggsy says, but he sounds more amused than anything else. “I keep tellin’ Daisy to watch where she’s goin’, but you aren’t the last pair of legs she’ll run into, I’m sure.”

Harry waves away Eggsy’s apology. “It’s quite alright. Daisy, is it?” He smiles down at her, not minding when she ducks back behind Eggsy. 

Eggsy bends down to pick her up, settling her on his hip where she instantly buries her face in his shoulder, peeping out at Harry suspiciously. “My sister. Whose bedtime is quickly approachin’ so we’d better be goin’, actually. Nice to see you again, Harry,” he says. 

“Nice to see you again,” Harry echoes, nodding to acknowledge Eggsy’s wave of farewell. He can’t help but give Daisy a small wave in return when her head pops up to watch him over Eggsy’s retreating shoulder. 

-

Afternoon strolls, Harry discovers, are just as nice as morning ones. He’d overslept, for once, and decided to skip out on his normal morning routine, saving the walk for later in the day. He follows his usual route, passing by the school and stopping as he notices a small figure huddled on the steps. 

As he draws closer, he realizes it’s Daisy, knees tucked into her chest and chin resting on them, staring out at the passersby on the street. 

Brow furrowed in confusion, Harry crosses the street, stopping at the bottom step. “Daisy? What are you doing out here?” 

Daisy blinks big, blue eyes at him and for a second Harry thinks she’ll just ignore him. But she ends up just shrugging her shoulders and lowering her chin back to rest on her knees. 

“Eggsy’s workin’. He’ll be here soon,” she mumbles. 

“Ah,” Harry says, reluctant to just leave her sitting there while he goes on his way. “Maybe I could sit with you? Until Eggsy gets here.” 

Daisy just shrugs and Harry takes that as an invitation. He settles down beside her, watching the street as she does. Eventually he comes to notice that she’s staring openly at the scar on his head. 

“What happened to you?” she asks, pointing at it. 

Harry stretches his eyes up as if he could see what she’s looking at. “What, this?” He taps the scar. 

Daisy nods, shuffling around to see him better. 

“Well,” Harry begins, lowering his voice and glancing around conspiratorially. “Can you keep a secret?” 

Eyes widening, Daisy nods emphatically, leaning in. 

“I used to be a spy,” Harry says in a voice just above a whisper. “I got hurt on one of my missions.” 

Daisy’s nose crinkles skeptically. “Did not,” she protests. 

“Did too,” Harry intones solemnly. “Cross my heart.” He traces an ‘X’ over his chest. 

Daisy’s mouth drops open. “Wooooah. What kinda mission?” 

Harry launches into a heavily edited version of one of his earlier missions. It had resulted in a head injury not quite as spectacular as the actual impetus of his scar but it seemed to satisfy Daisy well enough if her entranced state was anything to go by. She listened raptly to every word, jumping in with a question every now and then that Harry answered as best he could. He is just wrapping up when they see Eggsy coming along the pavement, looking slightly anxious. 

“Hey, Dais, sorry I’m late, work ran ov- Harry?” He stops when he sees the older man stretched out on the steps beside his sister, confusion plain on his face. 

Both of them get to their feet, Daisy scrambling into Eggsy’s arms to plant a kiss on his cheek. 

“My apologies, I was just worried when I saw her alone,” Harry says. 

Eggsy grimaces after returning Daisy’s kiss. “Yeah, I don’t like to leave her alone neither. Could you… I mean, if it ain’t too much trouble would you mind maybe waitin’ with her after school lets out? It wouldn’t usually be this long, I promise, I-” 

Harry holds up a hand to stem the tide of Eggsy’s babbling, nodding. “I’d be happy to.” 

The smile Eggsy gives him in return is blinding. 


End file.
